Mouthpiece for musical instruments



F. L. HURTT. MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1920.

Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

Patented Nov. 2l, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. HURTT, 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE L CROIX, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS. f

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed May 5, 1920. Serial No. 378,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. HUR'rr, acitizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces for Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to a mouth piece for musical instruments, being directed more particularly to a mouth piece for the so-called brass wind-instruments.

The invention relates to that type of mouth piece having therein a telescopic portion by which in the adjustment thereof the mouth piece may be made to conform to the desires of different users.

Musicians do not all use an instrument in the same way. That is to say, one player will merely place the lips lightly upon the mouth piece while another will place the lips somewhat inside. The same ease of performance cannot be had in both cases since the air movements will be different with the same mouth piece but the adjustment of the telescopic portion will permit the performer to obtain the best results with regard to ease of performing upon his instrument. The' construction must be such that there can be no leakage of air outside the device between the parts thereof, since such leakage would naturally interfere with the use of the instrument and the tone produced. n

In my type of mouth piece I am enabled to obtain every advantage necessary in a device of this nature. v

The objects are that of producing an adjustable mouth-piece that can be used with a cornet or an instrument of larger type; a mouth-piece that is proportioned to yield the best possible results; one that has interchangeable parts for fitting larger or smaller instruments; one that is perfectly tight so as not to leak air; one that can be adjusted to exactness and set permanently and pesi.

tively with no parts likely to vibrate and one wherein adjustment of the parts will not change the length of the device such`as would change the pitch of the instrument when set for that pitch.

' In the appended drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my mouth-piece in one of its forms, much enlarged, and

Figure 2 is a similar section of a slightly modified form. i

The body of the device is denoted at 1 in Figure l.

It has an open cavity 2 in the form of a stralght bore. The wall opposite the open side of the body is bored and threaded at 3 and receives a threaded tubular stem 4 havlng a cylindrical head 5 adapted to slidably fit within the cavity 2.

6 denotes a conically formed cavity whose greatest diameter at the outer end of the head is the same as thediameter of the bore of the cavity 2, the said outer end of the body therefor terminating in a feather edge as shown. The threaded stem 4 is preferably reduced in diameter at 7 and a sleeve 8 threaded interiorly is adapted to engage the threads of the sleeve as shown, being provided with a knurled flange at its upper end for convenience in turning it. The upper lend of said sleeve. abuts against the end of the body and serves to positively lock the stem 4 in any desired adjustment. The sleeve is tapered toward its free end adapting it to t into the instrument, While its bore is straight and receives the straight extremity of the stem 4, the latter having a bore communicating with the bottom of the cavity 6 in a. comparatively small opening from which it is gradually expanded until at its end Within the sleeve it terminates practically in a feather-edge as shown.

In Figure 2 the body denoted by 9 is the same as in Figure l, though preferably it is slightly less in length.

The stem 10 is like that described except that it is tapered. toward its free end to ft the instrument in sleeve 8.

l1 is a knurled internally threaded nut engaging the threaded stem serving to x the stem and body relatively.

rlhe adjustment of the stem Within the body in either form of the device results in the desired change in accordance with the musicians Wishes'. The setting up ot the sleeve secures the stem and body 'in rigid relation, the snug fit of the parts preventing escape of air between said parts outside the device, the abutting sleeve 8 in lthe one case, and the nut 11 in the other particularly serving as a bar to such escape.

The feather-edge with 'which the head 5 is finished provides a cavity with no abrupt corners orany lparts therein to interfere With Pl'QlQl tone 'produotQll in the instrument, itbleing notedthat the c oncavity ,of vthe Walls of said head begins directly at the Wall of the body 1. Thisis important in that the cavity `6 conforms to the accepted form. This,'co,upled with the constantly expanding bore of the stem also terminating' in a feathenedge, gives the very best results.

Either form oi the mouth-piece may be used with diii'erent sized instruments by making the sleeve 8 yin tvvo different sizes as regards its taper, or having the stem 10 of the form'shoivn in Figure 2 in two sizes. The form in AFigure l ofcourse is preferred from the tact that merely'the sleeve need be removed and replaced by another instead of the necessity of'removingthe stem l0, Fig ure 2. An important advantage in my device as to that in Figurey lis that adjusting the size of the cavity does not change the length overall of the said device. That to say, it is Well lniovvn that instruments of the type with which theV mouth piece is used are set to the propel` pitch by a tuning slide. New if the length of the mouth piece is changed by lengthening it the pitch would be made ,ilat7 and by the same rule by a shortening the pitch iyould be made scsharp.

After havingbeen brought to pitch the instrument would have tot@ tuned after any adjustment ofthe mouth piece tosuit the requirements of the performer inother types 0f Whck avare. IH Hiv de-vic@ the pitch having been determined this mouth place oi the use of the Piece may bei adjustedaiv'desre without change in euchpitch.n

l claim: A"

1. A mouth piece for the purposes named including abody'having a cavity, a tubular externally-tapered member abutting against the body atitsV end opposite that having the cavity, and a tubular cavitied member adjustable longitudinally Within ythe'body and the tapered'niemberfits cavity communieat-k its with that Qi the bdyl Said tapered membei" adapted-"td s661112@ the @av-ined 'member and the bodyrelatively, the body and said lirst member in use having a iixed length overall in any adjustment ot the cavitied member.

2. A. mouth piece of the type named in cluding in its construction a body-portion having a cavity, a member adjustable therein also having a cavity and including an eX- ternally threaded tubular part, and an internally threaded, exteriorly tapered sleeve engaging the tubular part adapted to secure the latter, the body, and itself relatively.

3. A mouth piece for the purposes named including a body having a cavity in one end, a tubular cavitied member adjustable Within the bodyand extending from the other end of the same, and a tapered tubular member engaging the extended end 4,of the first named .member adapted to' secure the same, said body, and itself in rigid reT lation.

l. A mouth piece for the purposes named including a body having a cavity in .one end, a tubular member adjustable Within the cavity having a cavity opening into that of said body, and a tubular externally tapered member adapted to abut against the body at its end opposite that having the cavity and engaging the first named member securing it and the body relatively.

5. 1n mouth piece Afor the purposes named, a tubular bodyhaving a cavity in one end, a tubular externally tapered member abutting at its large end against the end oi' the body remote from that having the cavity, the body and member having awfixed length, and a tubular cavitied member adjustable within the body and secured relatively thereto by said lerternally y tapered member.

6: A mouth piece for a brass Wind instruu ment comprising a body having a cavity, a member having` an extremity to fit said in.- strument, the body and member in use on the instrument always having the same relative positions, and a tubular member lying Within the body-cavity, itsehe having a cavity opening into the latter, said tubular member being adjustable longitudinally relatively to the body and the iirst named member and in use iiued relatively to both.

".7. lil-mouth piece for a brass vvind instruf ment comprising a body having a cavity, a member having an eutremity to lit said instrument, the body and member in use on the instrument always having the same relaT tive positions, and a tubular member lying Within the body-cavity and the first named member, itseli2 having a cavity opening into the former, said tubular member being adj ustable longitudinally Within and relatively to both the body and said iirst named meniber, all the parts in luse being iXed rela; tively. I

8- A mouth-Piece for musical instruments including a body-portion having a cylindrically formed cavity at one end, a cylindrical member adapted for longitudinal movement therein and having a cavity and av hollow partially threaded stem extending outside the body-portion at the other end or'. the latter, the diameter of the bore of the said member increasing in size toward its free end terminating in a. feather edge, and an externally tapered, partially internally 10 threaded member having a cylindrical bore Within which the end of the first described member has a sliding fit, said tapered member adapted to engage the said first described member and secure it and the bodyportion relatively.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of a Witness.

FRANK L. HURTT. Witness:

J. B. WOLFENBARGER. 

